Rail-joint.



E. M. SMITH.

RAIL JOINT.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 14. 1906.

Patented May 25, 1969.

innit stair PATENT wl l ltle EDGAR M.-SMETH, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO WILLIAM 'R. DAVIS, TRUSTEE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

RAIL-JOINT.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that'- l, EDGAR M. SMITH, a citizen of the United btates residing at New York city, county of New York, State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in hail -'Joints, and declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and usethe same, refer ence being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates in general to rail joints, and more particularly to a joint for connecting rails of ditl'erent heights in laying tracks it sometimes occurs that the adjoining rails are of different cross section and consequently it is impossible to use the ordinary joint plates. In such event it is desirable that joint plates should be employed which will securely unite and at. the same time so support the adjoining ends of the rails that their tread surfaces will ac eurately aline.

The primary object of my invention is to provide a rail joint for connecting the ends of rails of different heights which will support the bases of the rails at different levels so that the tread surfaces will he in the same horizontal plane, and which will also resist the downward strain at the joint incident to the passage of trains.

A further ol'i ject oi my invention is to provide a rail joint plate for uniting the ends of adjoining rails of ditl'erent heights, which will be simple in construction, inexpensive in. imumtacture, and will possess great structural strength.

The embodiment of my invention herein disclosed maybe generally described as consisting of a pair of joint. plates each plate con'iprising an upper chord or lish plate oi two di'tl'erent heights so as to lit snugly between the heads and bases of the united rails and eoi'iforming to the shape of the base flanges of the rails, a lower chord depending from the upper chord and extending below the bases of the rails, a flange underlying and supporting the base of the smaller rail, and a shoulder tor supporting the base of the larger rail at a lower level than the base of the smaller rail.

My invention will be more fully described hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawing in which'the same is illus-' Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 14, 1906.

- Patented May 25, 1909.

Serial No. 316,729.

trated as embodied in a convenient and practical form, and in which,--

Figure l is a perspective view; Fig. 2 an t-levational view of the opposite side of the joint plate from that shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3. a sectional view on line 3-3 Fig. 2; and Fig. la sectional view on line l-4f Fig. 2.

The same reference characters are used to designate the same parts in the several figures of the drawing.

Reference characters A and B indicate the upper chord or fish plate which is of two diti'erent-heights to fit. snugly between the heads and base flanges of adjoining rails of dilferent heights. The portion A extends slightly higher than the portion B as it engages the smaller raih the under surface of the head of which must be supported at a slightly higher level than the under surface of the head oi? the larger rail in order that the tread surfaces of the rails may aline. The portion A of the joint plate is provided with a base flange i) adapted to extend bcneath the base of the smaller rail and support the same at a higher level than the base oi the larger rail. At the inner end of the flange l) is formed a shoulder (Z upon which is adapted to rest the base of the larger rail such shoulder being in a lower plane than the flange D so that. the base of the larger rail will be supported such a dislance below the base of the smaller rail that the treads of the two rails will aline horizontally. j

in order that the downward strain to which the joint. plates are subjected may be resisted, a lower chord C is provided which depends below the base flange ot'ihe rails. The lower chord is strengthened by means of webs e e which extend downwardly in inclined directions from the feet a Z) of the joint. plate. The lower chord (l is further strengthened by the base flange l) of the portion A of the plate and serves to support the shoulder 11. The joint plate is made integrally so that the lower chord, base flange 1), and shoulder (1 serve to mutually reinforce each other. The two plates employed to 'lorm a joint; are the reverse in constrluction of each other in order that the portions of the plates adapted to support the lower rail may be opposite each other and the portions of the plates for engaging the large rail may also lie on the opposite sides of the end of such rail.

-tween the correpsonding portions A A of the join plates and that its base rests upon the base flanges l) l)-- of the respective plates. in Fig. l, l indicates the larger rail engaged by the corresponding portions ll B o' the joint plates. The base of the larger rail rests upon the corresponding shoulders (5 d? and is thereby supported at a lower level than the base 1/ ol the smaller rail from the foregoing description it will be observed taat l have invented an improved rail joint. tor securely uniting the ends of rails of ditl'erent heights and which also adapted to withstand the downward strain to which a rail joint is subjected Having now fully described my invention, what 1 claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. rl joint plate for uniting the ends ol rails of dill'erent heights, comprising an upper chord of two dill'erent heights to lit between the heads and. base flanges of the rails, a lower chord adapted to project dowir wardly below the base flanges of the rails said upper chord having llange sections pro jeeting outwardly beyond said lower chord at the end thereof to form feet and ha ving also an inwardly-projacting tlange adapted to underlie and support the base of one of said rails.

2. A joint plate for uniting the ends of rails of dili'erent heights, comprising an upper chord at two (litter-eat heights adapted to lit between the heads and base flanges of I the rails, said chord having an outwardly-- pro ecting tlangc, a portion ol v aid tlange being projected t'lownwaiall so as to term a lower chorth the remainder ol" the flange t'ormiug teet adjacent to the upper end of said downwardly projecting chord and an inwardly-extending flange on said upper chord arranged to underlie and support the base oli one of said rails.

2-). joint plate for uniting the ends of rails of dili'erent heights, com nising an upper chord of two dillerent heights adapted to lit between the heads and base flanges of the rails, said chord having an outwardl projecting flange a portion oi said flange being projected downwardly so as to form a lower chord. the remainder ol the flange forming l'eet adjacent to the upper end of said tlt)\\'llWill'tll V-l)l't) lt('t-l[lg chord an inwardly-extending flange on said upper chord arranged to underlie and support the base of the smaller rail, and a shoulder at one end oi said latter flange for nli derl ving and supporting the base of the larger raih at. :l step-joint for railway-rails compris ing a pair of splice-bars adapted to be secured to opposite sides of the adjoining ends oi rails of dtfierent eross sectional area, each of said splice-bars being formed of substamially vertical rail-supporting web enlarged or stepped up vertically for substantially half its length to support the head of the smaller rail, and with a downward and outward inclined flange along the lower edge of said vertical web, an inward-extending I base-support adapted to extend under one of the rails, said base-support terminating substantially midway between the ends of the bars, and a second inwardrxtending base support; adapted to extend under the other rail.

5. A step joint for railwayrails CUll1PllS- ing a pair of splicebars adapted to be sooured to opposite sides of the adjoining ends of rails of t'liliiia'ent cr'ossstaztional area each or said splice-bars formed with a substantially vertical rail-stmporting web enlarged or stepped up vertieallv for substantially hall the length. to support the head of the smaller rail and along the lower edge of said web with a downward and Olti,\\'.=.l1,'ti inclined t'lange adapted to extend over the base ot the rails one of said splice-bars being termed with an inward-extending base-sup port adapted to lie under the end of one oi the rails said b:1se-su'pport terminating substantially midway the ends oi tliesplieebart and a second inward-extending base support adapted to underlie the other of said rails t5. i\ step-joiut l'or railway rails eoinpr1s ing a pair of splice-bars adapted. to be set cured to o )osite sides oi the atil'oinin ends of rails of di tlerent erossns'ectionul area, each of said SlJlit'tr tlrfi being formed of a substantially vertieal rail-supporting web on larged or stepped up vertically itor substantiall hall' its'length to support the head of the smaller rail and with a downward and outward inclined lianp'e alon the lower edge of said vertical weln and a base-support eX tending inward under the base of the rail below the enlarged part of lhe vertical web and substantially equal in length to the en largetjl part of the we), whereby said baseso p port extends under and carries the smaller rail and being of sullicient thickness to bring the upper surface oi the said rail flush with the upper surface of the larger rail, and a second inward-extending base support adapt r d to underlie the other of said rails;

T. A connecting plate for railway ofiset joints, comprising a main upright portion having a vertical offset therein outwardly and upwardly beveled bearings at the upper edge of said main port-ion, outwardly and downwardly inclined flAhgQS at the bottom of said main portion, a lower vertical portion depending from said flanges beneath the offset in the main vertical portion, an inwardly extending base support connected to said main portion and extending from said lower vertical portion to one end of the main portion, and a second base support extending inwardly from said lower vertical underlie the base of oneof the mile, and a I port ion. v w downwardly projectin'g cho 8. A joint plate for uniting the ends of neath the plane of the feet between fthe ends ,i'ails of different heights, comprising an of said plate. 5 1 1pper chord of two. dlfl'erent heights to fit' In testimony whereof, I Sign this speeifieefibetfVeen' ({he' head? 315d base flanges of. Ellie tion in the presence of two witnesses.

mi 5, sai P ere or havin an outwer projecting fia nge' offsufficie width to ex EDGAR SM tend beyond'the base'of the rails so as to Witnesses: 10 form feetu 'and an inwardly-projecting flange FRANCES MCCARTHY,

. 'Aying in thep'l ene of the feet and adapted 'to GEORGE H. SARGeNT.

rd extending be- 

